Harness cord connector for looms



May 9, 1950 w. A. BLANCHARD HARNESS CORD CONNECTOR FOR LOOMS Filed Nov. 26. 1948 .INVENTOR WILLIAM A. BLANCHARD ATTORNEY Patented May 9, 1 950 UNlTED STATES PATENT orncs HARNESS CORD CONNECTOR FOR LOOMS William A. Blanchard, Millbury, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom. Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 26, 1948, Serial No. 62,211 '6 Claims. (01. 139-82) loom. These connectors are distributed along the rod but have been so made in the past that if one of them requires replacement it is necessary to remove several other connectors from the rod should the defective connector be near the center of the loom.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a harness cord connector more particularly adaptable for use on wide looms having two parts slidable relatively to each other so that they will embrace the actuator by relative movements in two directions, thereby permitting attachment of the connector to the actuator without removing other connectors therefrom.

It is a more particular object of the invention to provide a harness cord connector having a body formed with a harness actuator receiving slot opening in one direction and a plug having a slot opening in a direction at right angles to the first slot and fitted into the body. The

actuator is held within the slots by a set screw or the like which fastens the parts together and to the actuator. The plug member may be held against lateral displacement with respect to the body member of the connector by the set screw.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of the invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of part of a wide loom having the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of one of the connectors and associated parts,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the plug, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the manner of assembling the connector on the harness rod actuator.

Referring particularly to Figgi, the loom frame I0 supports a shedding mechanism comprising harness jacks I I, one of which is shown in Fi 1.

. 2 These harness jacks are controlled by any approved form of mechanism, such as a dobby or Knowles head, and rock about their pivot I2. Extending lengthwise of the loom are long harness actuator rods one of which is shown atl; connected by an eye I I to jack 1 I. The arch I5 of the loom supports a plurality of harness sheaves I6 over which are trained harness cords I1. The latter are connected to the harness frame I8 at a plurality of points along the length thereof, such as I9, 20 and 2I,-to prevent sagging of the frame and resultant deformation of the warp sheds. In the past it has been customary to connect the harness cord H to the actuator rod I3 by means of connectors which slide along the rod but are not readily removable therefrom.

As a result of this prior practice breakage of a connector has required stoppage of loom operation long enough to permit some of the connectors to be slid off the rod and new connectors slid on to the rod.

The matter thus far described is common in any wide loom wherein the harness frames must be supported at several points.

In carrying the present invention into effect each harness cord I1 is associated with a connector designated generally at 25. One of these connectors is illustrated in detail in Figs. 2 to 5 where it will be seen that the connector comprises a body member 26 having upwardly extending integral spaced preferably parallel walls 2!- and .28 which define between them a slot 29 to receive the harness actuator rod I3. The walls have extending therethrough transversely of slot 29 aligned holes 30 which are preferably of. circular form as shown in Fig. 2. Extending laterally from the body 26 to the right thereof as viewed in Fig. 2 are other walls 3I and 32 across which extends a-stud 33 to receive a head 34 of the harness connector II. The latter may if desired be made of airplane cable, although the invention is not limited to harness cords made of this material.

A plug member 35 of generally cylindrical form has a wall 36 formed integrally with laterally extending upper and lower lugs or walls 31 and 8', respectively, which define between them a slot 39 to receive rod I3. The lower lug 38 is provided with a hole 40 through which extends the upper end of a set screw 4! threaded into a tapped hole 42 in the body member 25. The screw 4| enters slot 29 intermediate the walls 21 and 28 under the plug member.

The manner of assembling the connector to the harness actuator rod I 3 is indicated in Fig. 5.

The body 26 will first be lifted with respect to the connector rod l3 sothat the latter will enter the slot 29, after which the plug member will be inserted into the holes 30 in such manner that the actuator" rod l3 enters slot 39. 'After the two members of the connector are thus assembled the set screw 4| is threaded in the body ZQLIthmu'gh: the ?hole 411' untillit engages the rod 13 as shown for instance in'Fig. 2. By

' setting the screw 4| up tightly it will establish firm holding engagement between the body 26 and the rod [3 and will alsonby-zentry intoi the hole 40 prevent lateral displacement of the plug member. The set screw 4 l iforces 'the uplper jpart of rod 13 against the undersiderofthetopllug =wai-dl qt will be seen that this operation can beiperformed without disturbing'any of the other 'connectors may be mounted on the acmmerse l 3.

Y 'From -thedoregoing it will' 'be seen that the i1ivefition-sets' forth a simple -harness cord connector which' can be :readily' attached to and removed='from--a harness zaetuator rod without iiistimbing -'other connectors which may "be on dare-rod. "Thetonnector compx isesbodyland plug membersmaving-rod receiving -slots which extend transversely of each other, the "slots-as showrrfor instance in Figf3-being at'right angles. "-When "the-1 twomembers are in operatingposition'the is ""con'fined between the intersecting "slots 29 and 39, and tightening of= 'the-set 'screw=-41 willfcl'amp or fasten the connector to the actuator' rod. while the lateral 'walls iil and 3'2 have been shown for attachmeiitof'the' rod'head 3'! 450 the connectonbody 26 the "invention is';not necessarily liniited 'to these lateral walls. -Also, ?the' positioning hole 4'! "in the plug 'member prevents accidental lateral displacement er theplug 'nner'nber and enables the set screw to; have di- "rrect engagement with the "rod l-3 "for *the pur- $15089 of'securing the connectorto the rod.

Having thusdescribed the invention it will be seen 'th'atchanges and modifications of theforegoingf'specific disclosure may he made without *departing 'thespirit and scope or the inwerition. V

V what is cl'aimed' as new "is:

1-."In "aharness cord connector for-a loom having a 'harness'actuator a' boiiy'-'member, a

plugnnember extending transversely thereof',"said members each formed=with=-wan cpens$lot to receive "said rod, the slots extending transversely .of each other, and means on the body member ztozpreventrelative transverse motionof the-mem- 4 bers and secure the body and members to the rod. 7

2. In a harness cord connector for a loom having' a harness actuator rod, a body formed with spaced walls defining a slot to receive said rod, a plug extending through said spaced walls and having spaced lugs defining a slot transverse of theifirst slot ireceiveiithe rod,:;and1means on the body extending through one ot s'aidlugs for 10 engagement with the rod to fasten the rod, plug body together and prevent movement of the plug transversely of 4 said walls.

3. In a harness cord connector for a loom .ihavingsa'harness-a'ctuator rod, a body member '16 formed with spaced walls defining an open slot member extending through part of the plug memberfforrengagement with saidrrod :toefasten itheibodyizmember' rtorthe :rodand :also :,prevent :movement. bf the plug member :transversely :of sa'idiwalls. 7 I V ,v

4. vIn :a %harness cord connector; for :sasloom having a harness actuator rod, :twotrod engaginglmezmbers each:formed :with/ an open :slotzmo receive "said :rod, one :slot 'calpable oofzrreceiving the rodb-y movement relativelyzthereto tin :aigiven 3'0 direction tran'sverseof therrod' and theothenslot ithereafter capable tofireeeivingitheirodrb-y movemerit relative to the'ffirst zmemberzin ea :direetion itransverse of the rod uand said :given direction, and means on one :member extending through the other member :for engagement with thecroii 'i'to hold b'oth'mem'bers in "fixed'tposition' on'xsaid rod.

5. In a harness cord connectortforza'zlooni having-a harness actuator rod,'"two'rod engag- "40 ing members each'formed 'u'rith 'an o penslotuto "receive-said rod, -one slot "capable of areceivirrg the rod by movement relatively :theretoiinza =tgi-ven direction 'transverseof the rod and the other slo't' la-hereafter capable of receiving :Ethe Lrod by -movement relative to 'the first memberin aidirection transverseo'f the rod and said :givenrdirection, and a se't *screw tapped into one meniber entering said one slot and extending through a artof the other member for engagement with 5 the rod 'to 'hold both members fixed-"to "the rod.

"6.- A body member for a harness cord connector provided" with a plug member 'to engage "a' harness "actuator rod, saidbody having parallel spaced walls defining "a slot between them for 1-3reception-of"therod, said walls having aligned Noireferences :cited. 

